California Baptist University
#3 USC
MWP Preview: 18th-Ranked Lancers Open 2023 Season Against Four Ranked Opponents
9/1/2023 4:53:00 PM | Men's Water Polo
RIVERSIDE - California Baptist University men's water polo is set to begin the 2023 season with a strong core of returners and the excitement of a challenging new conference. After years of success with the Western Water Polo Association, the Lancers make the move to the newly formed branch of the West Coast Conference, a seven-team water polo league.
Senior attacker Caleb Teraoka has already garnered the teams' first accolade from their new conference as he was included on the 2023 Preseason All-WCC team. Teraoka is the leading scorer returning in 2023, sitting at 104 career goals with 89 helpers. #️⃣6️⃣
𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐥𝐥-𝐖𝐂𝐂#LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/Q7zaP16oqf
Fifth-year attacker Thomas de Wit leads the team with 221 points broken down with 58 goals and 163 assists. De Wit used the first half of the 2022 season, setting a new program record by posting 26 straight games with an assist. Cameron Cullen is second behind Teraoka in goals with 90 and de Wit's points mark with 185.
The Lancers set a new program record with 23 wins a season ago, and this year's squad has the firepower to challenge that mark again. Senior Trevor Benge is set to protect the cage again this season after playing in 23 games last season and cresting the century mark with 102 saves.
TRITON INVITATIONAL PREVIEW
CBU water polo starts the 2023 season with a stiff first four contests in the Triton Invitational, slated to challenge four nationally ranked teams. The Lancers will open against #3 USC and #11 UC Irvine on Saturday, with #4 Stanford and #7 UC Santa Barbara waiting for them on Sunday.
The Lancers have just two wins combined against USC, UCI, and UCSB in games dating back to 2002, as the trio regularly resides in the top 10. Sunday will be the first-ever meeting between the Cardinal and the Lancers'.
